Not even Typhoon Quinta could stop about 3,000 people from attending the 44th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines on 26 December in a remote location in Northern Samar. Some of those of who attended walked for as long as two days, climbing mountains and crossing flood-swollen rivers just to reach the celebration in time.

Program organizers had to put up additional tents to accommodate throngs of guests who kept on arriving from nearby barrios (villages) and even from towns farther away, as the celebration went on amidst intermittent heavy rains from the afternoon of 26 December to the early morning of 27 December.

The Rodante Urtal Command of the New People’s Army-Northern Samar assured all that apart from the company of the New People’s Army serving as the honor guard, security was being ensured by more Red fighters, units of the people’s militia and an extensive intelligence network. Any enemy offensive from the military and police would have been monitored and stopped several kilometers away.

NDFP-Eastern Visayas spokesperson Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas graced the occasion to talk on the theme on the event, “Overcome the obstacles and fulfill the requirements for advancing to the strategic stalemate”. He expressed his confidence and trust in the CPP, based on “44 years of continuing, sustained and determined advancement of the people’s war, and the sterling victories we have earned and enjoy today.”

Fr. Salas hailed the revolutionary forces and masses in Northern Samar for leading the advance in Eastern Visayas. He noted that the revolutionary leadership in the region is now working for a comprehensive advance and has made strides since 2010 in armed struggle, building the Party, and agrarian revolution.

Antifeudal struggles are being waged in three subregions, where one of which has brought the struggle to the to the municipal level. Party membership also grew by 2.3%, according to the Fr. Salas. Since 2010, there are now some fronts capable of achieving company-size of Red fighters, while others have added more platoons to their guerrilla formations. Fulltime guerrilla units also grew by 13%, while tactical offensives ensure that new recruits are armed with high-powered rifles. Incomplete data show that in 2012, there were 24 tactical offensives carried out, with 17 firearms seized, and 71 killed in action and 31 wounded in action on the enemy side.

The NDFP-EV spokesperson said however that much remains to be done to catch up with the Party’s call to advance to the strategic stalemate by 2015 or soon after. He noted that more tactical offensives have to be carried out, the agrarian and other mass movements must arouse, organize and mobilize increasing numbers of the people, and the Party must be strengthened and consolidated. But Fr. Salas expressed confidence that the rising national democratic movement will prevail over the moribund semifeudal and semicolonial system presently led by the US-Aquino regime.

“We must be vigilant and steel our determination to fight to the last drop of our blood… defend the sovereignty and patrimony of the Filipino people and advance to victory.”

After Fr. Salas’s speech, more expressions of support to the CPP as well as cultural presentations continued and lasted until the early morning of 27 December. On the stage with a revolutionary mural in the background, as well as on the vast open space ringed by makeshift bleachers, Red fighters performed the “ismayling” (a duel of words sung by two or more), dramas, songs, dances, poetry reading and other cultural performanes.

Red fighters and supporters also lit 44 candles in memory of the martyrs of the revolution. To the end, the majority of the thousands of guests stayed on and joined the festivities amidst frequent downpours.